Loose cannons

Not quite

"Many — not all — people with apparently high wealth pay little tax." — Tax commissioner Michael Carmody.

Don't worry, I'm in charge

"I am the captain of the ship. We must batten down the hatches, instead of panicking all over the ship and jumping overboard." — Philippines President Fidel Ramos.

That settles it

"The cruel, hard fact is that if there is no Lidcombe facility to deal with the waste, then several industries in NSW will grind to a halt." — NSW environment minister Pam Allan, defending the toxic waste plant at Lidcombe, midway between the Olympic multi-use arena and the Olympic athletes' village.

Uncertifiably?

"We may do some dumb things from time to time, but we are not certifiably insane." — A White House spokesperson, denying that President Bill Clinton's staff had anything to do with an income tax investigation of Paula Jones, who is suing Clinton for alleged sexual harassment.

Opportunity

"We view the situation with delight. This has given us an opportunity to buy cheap stocks." — A fund manager, quoted in Time, on the plunge of south-east Asian stock markets.

Tick off

"Though the Federal Government is unlikely to deliver a substantial cut in unemployment ... it should be given 'a big tick' for trying, the Minister for Employment, Senator Vanstone, said yesterday." — Sydney Morning Herald September 18.

From GLW issue 291